


When.

by destroyinghorcruxes



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Complete, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Alternating, background pydia, background sterek, canon character death (Allison), mainly scott though, no other major character death, rated teen and up for implications of violence, there are a few other characters in the background or mentioned but it's not worth tagging them all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 23:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1836055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destroyinghorcruxes/pseuds/destroyinghorcruxes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaac doesn't spend much time in Beacon Hills after everything that's happened there. Scott misses him. Isaac comes back occasionally. There's a lot of cuddling, because they're both such puppies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When.

**Author's Note:**

> You'll soon realise how unimaginative the title was.  
> (I wrote this really late one night a few weeks back when I was having some major Scisaac feels and only just discovered it again today, so I figured I may as well publish it.)

When Isaac returned to Beacon Hills after his time in France, Scott could tell he was different. He hurt. They all did. He saw Allison everywhere he looked. Scott understood. Isaac returned to the McCall’s spare room for a few nights, until the boys began to take comfort in one another for the long winter nights, and he then took up a near-permanent residence in Scott’s room. Melissa didn’t mind.

When high school was over and Isaac wanted to get away again, Scott understood. They would make sure to text most days, and go on video chat at least once a week. Scott took a while to learn how to use Skype and Stiles made several jokes about how dogs shouldn’t be using technology in the first place. Derek scowled from where he sat behind them on Scott’s bed, but Isaac, halfway across America, saw the ghost of a smile flutter past his lips when he thought no one was looking.

When the texts were fewer and the Skype calls less frequent, Scott worried. It had taken Isaac a while to get used to the idea of having friends to support him. Scott had wanted to keep him close and keep him safe, and make sure he was okay. It turned out that Isaac was just spending more time with his new girlfriend. Her name was Amelia. Scott never met her in person before she dumped him for the son of a rich actor.

When Isaac came home nine days later, Scott met him at the airport and gave him a hug for the first time in about half a year when he’d left. Stiles bit back the puppy jokes, giving them a moment of peace instead. Scott, Isaac, Derek, Stiles, Kira and Danny had a movie night and snuggled together under one giant blanket that Melissa and Stiles had knitted together when he was recovering from the nogitsune. He had never been quite the same, but he seemed content now.

When Isaac left again, it was three days before Lydia was due to arrive back for her spring break from university, and Peter with her (nobody understood what happened there, but nobody dared question it). Isaac didn’t mind though- he hadn’t been that close with either of them and to be honest didn’t care much about not seeing them. He did however visit Erica, Boyd, and Allison’s graves before leaving.

When he returned the next time, it was nearly a year later, and Scott had almost given up hoping that he would. He brought with him a man called James, whom he’d met at a bar one night but who’d actually stayed for breakfast. Scott didn’t ask just how many people Isaac did pick up at bars- he didn’t want to know the answer. It was then that Scott realised he was jealous and as soon as he’d come to that realisation, he spent most of Isaac’s visit suppressing his feelings because of everyone’s werewolf senses. And although Derek appeared to notice, he didn’t mention it.

When Isaac left again it was with James. They bought an apartment closer to Beacon Hills but still several hours away by car- at least it meant no more awkward plane journeys. Scott couldn’t help but notice how nice James was. Always happy, and polite, and kind, and helpful. Everything Scott had spent his life trying to be, while probably failing miserably.

When they broke up, Isaac stayed in the apartment, and it was James who moved away- he got freaked out when he found out that Isaac was a werewolf. Isaac got a new flatmate, Casey. She was small and pretty with long brown hair, and Scott’s jealousy remained, despite Isaac claiming that they weren’t together. Scott never met her in person before she left for a job somewhere in Canada.

When the next flatmate arrived, she and Isaac started dating almost instantly. She was called Laura, and Derek left the room when the Skype conversation turned to her. Stiles followed. Two months in to their relationship, Isaac met her family, and it reminded him of what he didn’t have. She came with him when he next went back to Beacon Hills and he introduced her to Melissa and Scott and Stiles and Chris and Derek. His family.

When Scott woke up with a knife to his throat he panicked, and Isaac picked up on the rise in his heartbeat from downstairs where he was making waffles. It turned out she was a hunter, looking for the infamous true alpha. Isaac nearly killed her then, but Scott made him show mercy, and they let her off, warning her never to return. Isaac sank to the floor and Scott held him while he cried, something which they swore never to mention again. Isaac spent a lot of time with Derek, who understood.

When Derek started to spend most of his time with Stiles doing god-knows-what, and Scott was spending a lot of time at the local college where he was studying for exams (he was training to become a vet), and everyone else just seemed to have somewhere to be, Isaac found himself alone, often just wandering the streets out of boredom. His memories overflowed with images of broken glass, and freezers, and Erica’s hair, and Boyd’s eyes, and Allison’s dimples when she smiled, and he couldn’t take it so he left again. He didn’t tell Scott, something which resulted in a string of worried texts and phone calls.

When he texted back “I’m fine. I just need some space. Goodbye.” And then turned off his phone, Scott panicked. Then he convinced himself Isaac would be okay by himself. He always had been. And then he just missed him.

When the golden leaves parted from the trees as fall arrived, Isaac grew tired of his job as a barista in a small town coffee shop. He’d had a short fling in the summer with an accountant named Eric. Eric was gentle and kind and understanding, but he was always immersed with his work, and Isaac, friendless in a new place, felt lonely, so it ended not long after it had started. Isaac hadn’t spoken to anyone from Beacon Hills in several months, and didn’t know if he would be welcome back, but it was worth a try.

When his car pulled into Scott’s driveway, it was late. He knocked on the door and Melissa answered as usual, and pulled him into a tight hug. As it turned out, Scott had moved away now into an apartment that he now shared with Cora who had come back to Beacon Hills to spend time with Derek. Melissa let him get some rest before she told everyone else of his return. Scott’s old bed looked lonely and empty without the alpha’s presence, so Isaac slept in the spare room.

When the sun was already high in the sky Isaac awoke. Melissa had the day off work, and called Scott to pop in and say hi. She didn’t say why. He stopped by with Danny and Ethan and Isaac realised how things must have changed- Scott had never been close with them as far as he knew.

When Scott arrived home he smelled Isaac’s scent before he saw him. He told Danny and Ethan they could go, he would need time. The first thing Scott noticed was how worn down Isaac looked and he felt an overwhelming urge to take the pain away. Scott sat on the couch for the most of that day, Isaac’s head resting in his lap as he played with the taller boy’s curls.

When, three months later, Isaac said he wanted to leave again, but he would keep in touch this time, Scott made him stay for Christmas. Scott woke up on Boxing Day to a handwritten letter saying goodbye and a wolf plushie with blue eyes.

When Scott went to bed that night, he held the toy closely to his chest, his blue-eyed beta. It was a habit he remained in for a while. His pack had become so disjointed recently, and he was still only able to concentrate on one member. Stiles, even without any “wolfy powers” sensed Scott’s loneliness, and tried to arrange more pack sleepovers and movie nights.

When Isaac came back the next time it was four months later and he smelled different. He brought with him an alpha named Michael. His new alpha. And boyfriend. Scott’s attempts to hide the waves of jealousy he felt failed. Michael was slightly older than Derek but not as old as Peter. He appeared to pick up on Scott’s jealousy, and would occasionally send him a seemingly devious smile. Nobody in the pack seemed to like him. Nobody brought it up with Isaac.

When Michael dragged a reluctant Isaac back away from Beacon Hills, Scott couldn’t help but be glad that man was gone. He hadn’t been comfortable around Isaac’s new scent. It smelled of new pack, but still the same old loneliness and sadness mingled with fear. Scott hoped that maybe with time this new pack would make Isaac happier.

When Scott next met Isaac, he came alone, but his scent still clearly marked him as a member of Michael’s pack. Isaac didn’t seem happier. They ignored the fact that they were in different packs and snuggled together in Scott’s bed for the next few nights, the plushie forgotten on the floor.

When Isaac left, the texting stopped again. As did the Skype calls. Scott had felt so close to Isaac for the past few nights; he didn’t understand why Isaac would then ignore him. Stiles pointed out that it’s probably a pack thing- Isaac can’t be in two packs at once. Eventually, three and a half weeks later, Scott’s phone received a text from Isaac telling Scott to go on Skype. They talked all night about pretty much nothing. Scott could have sworn Isaac had a black eye but it must be a trick of the light- after all, it would have healed unless it came from an alpha and Michael was the only one of those Isaac was round.

When they next spoke, it was another two weeks later, and they only spoke for half an hour this time. Isaac told Scott he was scared, and when Scott asked why, Isaac acted as though he had heard something and had to go. Scott didn’t sleep that night.

When spring turned into summer, and summer turned into fall, and fall turned into winter, and Scott was left with the distant, happy memories of last Christmas compared with the harshness of this year, he decided to go and find the boy who was now ignoring all his messages. He enlisted Danny’s help to track their last Skype call from all that time ago, and miraculously the human was able to. Scott, Stiles and Derek piled into the Jeep, which he was surprised is still running after all this time, and headed off, hoping that Isaac hadn’t moved since then.

When Stiles told him he needed to tell Isaac how he felt, Scott agreed. He would this time. He could. It didn’t matter that Isaac was probably still with Michael, Scott just wanted him to know. The engagement ring on Derek’s left hand was proof enough that Stiles’ plans don’t always fail.

When Scott pulled up at the address he could smell Isaac. Isaac and pain and sadness and more self-loathing than the boy had ever carried before to Scott’s knowledge. This wasn’t right. But they had him alone- his was the only heartbeat at the moment, despite the strong scents which must belong to other pack members.

When Scott knocked on the door it wasn’t answered. When Stiles tried to pick the lock it was too stiff. When Derek body slammed into it, the door fell off its hinges. Isaac was in the bedroom, curled on the bed in a foetal position, and Scott had never felt his heart break more so than it did now. When he held the broken boy’s hand and looked into his eyes he saw only pain, as Isaac just mumbled “He’s like my dad. I’m sorry I should never have left.” And that was all Scott needed to hear before he pulled Isaac up to cradle him against his chest.

When Scott told him it wasn’t his fault, he shook his head. Scott held him for a while until Isaac said his boyfriend would be home soon and they should go. They refused to leave him. Stiles pried Isaac away from Scott’s arms to take him home in the Jeep, while Scott and Derek remained, to take care of the big bad wolf. Isaac asked them to promise not to hurt him. They didn’t promise anything.

When Scott got back to Melissa’s in Isaac’s car she told him to be quiet. He found Isaac asleep in his bed, just like old times, and didn’t even bother to change into pyjamas as he snuggled in beside him. The bruises and cuts that littered Isaac’s body scared him, but he could worry about that in the morning. There was no need to wake him now.

When Isaac woke up of his own accord at that moment, he smiled properly, for the first time in a long time. He felt safe. He felt loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it, feel free to leave a review (constructive criticism is always welcome), or follow me on tumblr (destroying-horcruxes.tumblr.com) and if you have any prompts for any fandoms I'm in, feel free to message me there.


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